An estimated 30-40% of all food in America is wasted. According to Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks and food pantries, “that equates to 130 billion meals and more than $408 billion in food thrown away each year.” These sizeable numbers can make it difficult to get a grounded sense of what wasted food means for the food system at large. From farms, to distributers, to retailers, restaurants, and homes, food is wasted at every stage. During this presentation, learn more about the impact of food waste reduction, and what it means for the environment, and for individuals.

Harvard Kennedy School Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy, Afreen Siddiqi, will “set the table” for this conversation with an overview of the environmental, social, and economic impacts of wasted food. The panel will also include presenters from Harvard, including HUDS Chefs Donn Leonard and Justin Cassidy, Harvard’s Recycling Services Supervisor, Dailey Brannin, and Harvard College student, Breda Page Violette, a Food Literacy Project Fellow who helps operate a Harvard-based shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness.